Device for treating material



Dec. 22 1925- 1,566,623

P. A. SINGER' DEVICE FOR TREATiNe MATERIAL Original Filed Sept. 22. 1922Patented Dec. 22,; 1925.-

UNITED STATES ATENToF F ca;

'rnrnrr A. smemaor GLEN ELLYN, ILLIrioIs.

DEVICE FOR TREATING- MATERIAL.

Original application 1116a September 22, 1922, swarm. 589,954. Dividedand this application filed September 12, 1924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that} I, PHILIP A. SINGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Glen Ellyn, Du Page Cdunty, Illinois, have 1 inventedcertain new and useful Improvements Relating to Devices for TreatingMaterial, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division of my cpending and allowed applicationknown as Serial No. 589,954, filed September 22, 1922 entitled Methodsfor treating material (Pattent No. 1,511,238, of October-'14, 1924).

' In practicing the invention according to the specific apparatusillustrated herein the material to. be treated will ordinarily be insmall units, such as the various grains and sliced or chopped fruits andvegetables, the size of-the individual parts or particles be- 0 ing suchas to provide for their ready introduction into and removal from thetreat- Wing receptacles as a 'continously-moving mass.

The particular form of apparatus illustratedis well adapted to thetreatment of a considerable variety of substances, for instance thesteeping of corn, the extraction of sugar juice from beets. etcl, forthe-washing of black ash in the soda industry, for

I0. the extraction of oil from seeds and other materials. and for otherpurposes where such actions as washing, leaching, steeping, sottening orextracting, etc. take place.

As an indication of important objects and advantages of theseimprovements they may be compared briefly with some practices heretoforeknown. I

- For instance corn to be used for the manufacture of starch and glucosehas heretofore been steeped or softened in large vats or tanks. eitheropen or closed, in a solution of sulphurous acid. The time required forthe treatment ranges from thirty-six to seventy-two hours,- dependingupon the hardness of the corn, the temperature of the liquid and thesoftness desired. This prior and ordinary method of steeping orsoftening the. corn has many objectionable features, such as the timeelement involved. the use of sulphurous acid as a preservative duringthe long steeping period, the effect Serial No. 737,22

ofjsuch acid on the health of employees, the necessity of neutralizingtheacid if certain products are to be saved, the large amount of solidmatter broken down and lost through the long soaking in the acidsolution, the development of bacteria, organic space required fortreating an equal volume of corn in the present apparatus compared withthe oldwill vary from say one to four to say one to eight; the volume ofcorn beabout fifteen per cent of that according to the old method andapparatus; the new apparatus will extract a higher percentage of thesoluble matter contained in the corn, and

a higher percentage of solids will also be obtained; and since the spentsteep waters are concentrated and the product used as a cattle feed thecost of lime for neutralizing the sulphurous acid solution is avoidedaccording to these improvements, and the cost of the acid isalso saved,the resulting cattle feed being also of a higher quality.

In the beetsugarindustry sugar is extracted from chipped beets in anapparatus a maximum of four hours; the amount of treated at any giventime will be only commonly called a diffusion battery, usually composedoften cells or tanks having perforated bottoms respectively, the tanksbe-- ing filled with. the chipped beets and water being circulatedthrough the tanks, from one to the other in series. That process ofextraction is a long and tedious one involving considerable expense inequipment, labor and upkeep. The new apparatus illustrated and describedherein operates in lieu of such diffusion battery with the materlalpassing continuously through the'single unit, to the material andupkeep, and the provision of In the accompanying drawings, which- I forma part of this specification, the figures better results. Other objectsand advantages will appear hereinafter.

These and such objects are realized in the provision of methods andmeans for treating the material as a continuous operation, and

in most cases with a partial vacuum acting upon the material as it movesthrough the treating receptacle, thereby providing for a thoroughpenetration of the material and action upon it by the treating liquid ina relativelv short space of time. the shorten. ing of the-time elementrendering the use of a preservative,las sulphurous acid, un-

necessary. it

are shown in medial vertical section, with a few of the structure partsshown 1n full.

Figure 1 showsa preferred embodiment of a device for carrying out thepresent invention; Figs. 2 and 3' are fragmentary vlews showingmodifications respectively of the lowe'r'part of the deviceof Fig. 1.'It is to lie-understood that for the purposes of this explanation theupper portions of Figs. 2

and 3 (not shown)- are in accordance with the upper portions of Fig. 1.

Referring to'Fig. 1 the treating receptacle 10 is. a vertically disposedtubular member .which may be formed sectionally of cast or rolled ironor which may be ofwood. In practice, for a high rate of production, it

.' maybe from thirty; to forty feet in height or more, but the heightand other proper tions may vary within wide limits; Since it may be usedfor treating grains and other materials which swell when soaked inliquidthe receptacle 10 preferably'widens toward the bottom to provideadditional space for the swelled material. The receptacle 10 and all ofthe other parts illustrated are to be understood as being supported intheir op-- erative positions by any suitable structures suggested byordinary engineering and do not need to be shown. I

The lower end of the receptacle 10 is open at 11, and surroundingthislower open end is; an auxiliary receptacle 12 spaced laterally fromthe lower end of the receptacle 10, the receptacle 12 being open to theouter air at its top at 13 and having a conical I bot-tom portion 12,the lower end of which.

may beclosed or opened bythe valve 1 1. The trap receptacle 12 is shownas being widened or enlarged at 12 to accommodate the float valve 15 onthe pipe 16 communicating with the tank 17 fragmentarily shown. Aconically shaped member 18 supported by stays 19 I projects upward andconstitutes means for overcoming a chiefly-central downward movement ofthe material at that place.

At 20 the receptacle 10 is enlarged to accommodate a foraminousalmost-cylindrical strainer 21 while providing a space between thestrainer ring and the outer wall at 20. Fromthis space a pipe 22 issuesand projects downward into the trap tank 23 having an overflow pipe 24:.

The material is introduced into the receptacle 10 preferably bymeans-which do not introduce also a substantial amount of outer air,-andsuch means are especially desirable .where the upper portion of thetreating re-v ceptacle is under partial vacuum. In my copendingapplication filed September 22,

1922 and known as Serial No. 589,955, to which reference may behad, Ihave shown several forms of novel devices for introducing material freefrom air into a treating receptacle, and one of the formsheremshown issubstantially illustrated herein at the upper portion of Fig. 1.

. The material to be introduced is conducted through the pipe 25 intothe hopper 26, and a supply of liquid, for instance water, is fed intothe hopper 26 through pipe 27 or pipe 28 simultaneously with the feedingthere into of the material, whereby the material in the hopper 26, atleast thelower portionof the mass therein, is covered by the liquid. andthe air between the particles or parts of thematerial is therebyexcluded. The material then passes through the valve 29 into asubstantially air tight separating chamber i 30, formed of sheet metalwhich opens into the upper portion of the receptacle 10 through thechannel 31. A cylindrical screen device 32, of well-known form, is

mounted on a sl1aft'33, and means such asthe gear 34 are provided forrotatingthe screen 32. The pipe 33. leading from thevalve 29 andprojecting into the separating chamber 30 conducts the material into theupper end portion of the screen device 32, I

and as this screen rotates the material grad- 'ually worksto the lowerend of the screen and is discharged through they passageway 31 into thereceptacle 10. The baflle 34 is.

adaptedto prevent such material from enter 3 ing the pipe 35, which maybe considered as .leading to means for exhausting the air in the upperportion of the tank 10 and -produc-.-

in a partial vacuum therein. The check va vs 36 is adapted-to provideagainst loss of vacuum by back'flow through the pipe 35. The waterintroduced with material falls inclined bottom 37, from which it waythrough the screen 32 upon the downwardly;

drawn through the pipe 38 by the pump 39 and forced through the pipe 27back to the hopper 26, or '"the valve. 40 may be closed and the valve 410 ened and thereupon the liquid introduced with the material may flowdownward through the pipe 42 and be discharged into the collecting tank43, from which it may be drawn by the pump 44 and forced through thepipe 45 and discharged into the trap receptacle 12. When the liquid isthus conducted from the separating chamber to the, trapreceptacle 12 theliquid introduced with the material will preferably be the treatingliquid, in which case the supply of liquid to be introduced with thematerial through the pipe 28 will also be the treating liquid. By usingthe treating liquid from the beginning of operations the treatingprocessis rendered somewhat more re id.

n treating material according to the device illustrated a supply otthematerial may be continuously fed into the device notwithstanding thefact that the upper portion of the receptacle. 10 may be under partialvacuum, and the treated material may continuously be discharged at thebottom through the valve l l'upon the downwardlyinclined screen 47 fromwhich it passes into the collecting receptacle 48, while the treatingliquid which also issues through the valve 14 'falls downward into theopen-top receptacle 43 and may be conveyed back through the pipe 45 forfurther use.

In beginning operations the receptacle 10 is first substantiallycompletely filled with the material to be treated, say up to the glasswindow 48, the material also occupying the conically-shaped portion 12of the trap receptacle 12. This initial filling of the tank 10 may bedone with the material in its dry state. A quantity of the treatingliquid is then introduced in the trap receptacle 12 so as to seal theopening 11 at the bottom of the tank 10. The vacuum device is then putinto operation and the receptacle 10 put under partial vacuum. Thisraises the treating liquid in the receptacle 10 until it reaches thepipe 22, additional treating liquid being supplied the while so as tomaintain the seal at the bottom of the tank 10. For maintaining thesupply of treating liquid in the trap 12 a supply of the liquidismaintained in the tank 17 and is automatically admitted into the trap 12through the action of the float valve 15. At all times during theoperation of the device the float valve 15 operates to maintain thesurface of the treating liquid in the trap 12 at a predetermined heightwell above the open end 11 of the receptacle 10.

Since the valve 22 in thepipe 22 is below the plane of the'surface ofthe liquid in the liquid as may trap 12', when the valve 22 i s openedliquid which has been drawn by suction to the treatment as may bedesired through the When the valve 14.- at the bottom otthe trap deviceis opened and material is constant-ly being introduced at the top of thereceptacle 10 there is a continuous movement of the material downwardwithin the treating chamber. This downwardly-moving mass is firstsubjected to the action of the partial vacuum so long as the material isabove say the discharge opening at 50. The partial vacuum exhausts muchof the air from among the cells and fibers or interstices of thematerial and when the material then sinks into the body of the treatingliquid the liquid fills the spaces formerly occupied by the air in thematerial and the treatment of the material is therefore rendered muchmore thorough and rapid.

At the same time that the mass of material is moving downward there is acurrent of treating liquid flowing upward in the stantly intoassociation with the material and to carry away liquid which may havebecome inert in particular instances or which may contain valuablesubstances to be recovered.

The valve 22. controlling the outflow may '50, which means that thematerial above the liquid line is subjected to a greater degree ofvacuum. By maintaining'the surface of the liquid in the trap 12 at agreater eleva-' tion than that shown the degree of partial vacuum in thedevice may be reduced.

While the use of partial vacuum provides unimportant advantage inlessening the time of treatment as well as in providing'a more thoroughtreatment of the material the construction substantially as shown forthe treating receptacle 10 and the trap member 12 maybe used withoutvacuum and wlthout introducing the material substantially free fromouter air, in which case the material might be continuously fed into thereceptacle and continuously withdrawn therefrom after passing throu hsuch a body of the treating be contained by the trap recepreceptacle 10,the efiect of the current flow l being to bring additional treatingliquid contacle 12, the relative height of this trap receptacledetermining the distance throug which the material would pass whilesurrounded by the treating liquid. Liquid current within the treatingreceptacle could be caused otherwise than by vacuum.

Turning now to Fig. 2 the treating receptacle 55 has its lower portionconically shaped and terminates in an outlet valve 56 through which thematerial may be discharged upon the screen 57 and thence into thecollecting receptacle 58 while the treatmg liquid falls into the tank 59from which it may be discharged by the pipe 60, pump 61and pipe 62 into'the trap tank 63 in commun1cat1on through the pipe 64 with theenlargement 65 of the tank 55. The screen introduced into the tank 55and that the action of the vacuum is to draw the treating liquid fromthe tank 63 upward among the particles of the material and that suchtreating liquid is discharged through a pipe as 22 of Fi 1. V

Accor ing to Fig. 3 the material is withdrawn from the treating tank 70by a spiral a conveyor 71, the upper or discharge end of which is abovethe liquid level, say where the discharge pipe 72 enters the tank 70.The supply tank 73' conveys a supply of treating liquid through the pipe74 to the lower portion'of the tank 70, which treating liquid is drawnupward by the vacuum when the vacuum vfeature is used. Since the supplytank 73 is above the discharge pipe 72 where it enters the tank anupward flow of treating liquid may be had in the tank without the use ofthe vacuum.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that various changesanddepartures may be made within the scope of these improvements fromwhat is herein specifically illustrated and described, and referenceshould therefore be had to the appended claims to determine what isincluded within the invention herein set forth.

1. In a treating device, the combination of a substantially verticallydisposed treat-- ing receptacle, means for continuously feeding materialto be treated into the upper I portion of the receptacle, means forcontinuously withdrawing treated material from the lower portion of thereceptacle,

means for introducing a treating liquld into the receptacle, means forinducing a partial ipe 62 to maintain a constant levelofvacuum in theupper portion. of therecep- 2. In a treating device, the combination ofmeans forminga treating .receptacle including. a substantiallyvertically arranged tubular member. means forming a. liquid trap at thebottom portion of said tubular member, means for feeding material to betreated into the upper portion of the recep= tacle, means forwithdrawing treated material from the lower portion of the receptacle,means for introducing a treating liquid into the receptacle, and meansfor discharging such liquid from the receptacle at t a predeterminedheight therein. Y

3. In a treating device, the combination of means forming a treatingreceptacle including a substantially vertically arranged tubular member,means forming a liquid trap in communication with the lower portion ofsaid tubular member, means for feeding material to be treated into theupper portion of the receptacle, means for withdrawing treated materialfrom the lower portion of the receptacle, means for introucing atreating liquid into the receptacle, means for inducin a partial vacuumin the upper portion of e receptacle, and means for discharging such l iuidfrom the receptacle at a predetermine height thereln.

4. In a treating device,-the combinatlon of means forming a treatingreceptacle including a substantially vertically arranged tubular memberwhich gradually widens throughout a portion thereof as it extendsdownward and which is open at the bottom, the receptacle including meansforming a liquid trap at the bottom of said tubular member, means forfeeding material to be treated into the upper portion of thereceptacle,means for withdrawing treated material from the lower portion of thereceptacle, means for introducing a treating liquid into the'receptacle, and means for discharging such liquid from the receptacle ata predetermined height therein.

5. In a treating device, the combination of means forming a treatingreceptacle including a substantially vertically arranged tubular memberwhich gradually widens throughout a portion thereof as it extendsdownward and which is open at the bottom, the receptacle including meansforming a liquid trap at the bottom of said tubular member, means. forcontinuously feeding material to be treated into the upper portion ofthe receptacle, means for continuously withdrawing treated material fromthe lower portion of thereceptacle, means for continuously introducing.a treating liquid into the receptacle, -means for conso as to cover theopenlower end the upper receptacle part, means of a downwardly-extendingupper receptacle part open at the bottom, an upwardly extending lowerreceptacle part open at the top, the open top portion of thelowerreceptacle part encompassing and extending upward beyond andin'spaced relation to the open bottom portion 0 the upper receptaclepart, means for introducing into the upper receptacle part material tobe treated, means for supplying liquid to the receptacle so as to coverthe 0 en lower end portion of the upper receptac e part; to form aliquid trap, means for inducing a partial vacuum in the upper receptaclepart when the device is normally in use, and means for withdrawingmaterial from the lower receptacle part. 7. In a treating device, thecombination of a downwardly-extending upper receptacle part open at thebottom, an upwardly extending lower receptacle part open at the top, theopen top portion of the lower receptacle part encompassing and extendingupward beyond and in spaced relation to the open bottom portion of theupper receptacle part, means for introducing-into .the upper receptaclepart material to be treated, means for supplying liquid to thereceptacle ortion of tor inducing a partial vacuum in the upperreceptacle part, and means forwithdrawing material from the lower recetacle part.

8.'In a treating evlce,

receptacle, and means upper receptacle part material to meansreceptaclepart so the combination of a downwardly-extending upper rece tacle partopen at the bottom, an upwa y extending lower receptacle part open atthe top, the open top-portion of the lower receptacle part encompassingand extending upward beyond and in s aced relation to the open bottomportion 0 part, means for introducing into the upper receptacle partmaterial to be treated, means for supplying liquid to the part so as tocover the open lower end portion of the upper receptacle part, means forinducing a partial vacuum in the upper the upper receptacle lowerreceptacle so receptacle part adapted, to raise the upper 1 surface ofsuch liquid in the upper receptacle part, means for drawingofl' suchliquid at a predeterminedheight in the upper receptacle part, and meansfor withdrawing material from the lower receptacle part.

' 9. In a treating of a downwardly-extending upper rece tacle part openat the bottom, an upward y extending lower receptacle part open at thetop, the open topportion of the lower receptacle part. encompassing andextending upward beyond and in spaced relation to the open bottomportion of the upper receptacle part, means for introducin into the %etreated,

for supplying liquid tothe lower as, to cover. thejopen lower endportion of the upper receptacle part, means for inducing a partialvacuum in the upper'receptacle art ada ted to raise the upper surface ofsuc liquid 1n the upper receptacle part, means inclu ing means fordischarging liquid from'th upper recep tacle part for varying the degreeof partial vacuum in the receptacle, and means withdrawing material.from' the lower receptacle part.

, PHILIP a. sin enn device, the combination for"

